The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for processing silver halide color photographic light sensitive materials, more specifically, the present invention relates to a processing method where even when light-sensitive materials having emulsions different in the silver halide composition and being different in the development behavior are processed in mixture, excellent photographic properties of respective light-sensitive materials can be maintained. The present invention provides a processing method and a processing apparatus, which can simultaneously process light-sensitive materials having emulsions different in the silver halide composition by a simple modification.
Among silver halide color photographic light-sensitive materials, the photographic film light-sensitive material for use in taking a picture by camera work (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9cfilmxe2x80x9d) is large in the coated silver amount as compared with printing materials (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a xe2x80x9cprintxe2x80x9d), therefore, a large load is imposed on the development step or desilvering step and the development processing time is generally long.
In recent years, color laboratories are overspread and small color laboratories called mini-lab for performing the development processing (hereinafter simply referred to as xe2x80x9cprocessingxe2x80x9d) at the shop-front of photographic shops in the city are increased. Thus, the tendency is apparently turning from conventional collection-and-delivery processing which is conditioned on collection and delivery, to the shop-front processing performed at the mini-lab. In the shop-front processing, reduction in the time until finish and delivery is particularly a matter of importance. Among the processing operations, the processing of a film takes a long time and reduction in the time necessary for this processing is demanded.
In order to shorten the film processing step, a film containing a high silver chloride emulsion in which the main component of silver halide is silver chloride is disclosed to take the place of conventional films containing a high silver bromide emulsion in which the main component of silver halide is silver bromide. As compared with the latter case, the emulsion in the former film has excellent effect in attaining a rapid processing or reducing the replenishing amount, because the reaction rate at the development is high and iodide ion working out to an inhibitor at the fixing processing is scarcely released. With respect to the example of this high silver chloride emulsion, JP-A-63-2129932 (the term xe2x80x9cJP-Axe2x80x9d as used herein means an xe2x80x9cunexamined published Japanese patent applicationxe2x80x9d) discloses a technique containing a high silver chloride emulsion having a (111) face and U.S. Pat. No. 5,264,337 discloses a tabular emulsion having a (100) face.
The material for photographing (i.e., film) using this high silver chloride emulsion has a possibility that it can be processed with a processing solution common to that for color paper (print) which similarly uses a high silver chloride emulsion. EP-617325A and JP-A-7-270991 disclose this technique.
Although the high silver chloride-type photographing material is advantageous in its excellent rapid developability, the current color photographic and color laboratory market is constructed by high silver bromide-type photographing materials and a system for developing the high silver chloride-type photographing material is not present. If a high silver chloride-type photographing material is introduced, propagated and raised to a predominant photographing material in the market and along with it, an exclusive development service network is completed, users could enjoy many merits. However, at the initial stage in the introduction of high silver chloride photographing materials, since a satisfactory development service network capable of coping with the new processing for the photographing materials introduced is not established, the development service thereof must be furnished by the existing processing system for films using a high silver bromide emulsion. In other words, at the initial stage in the introduction of high silver chloride photographing materials, it is anticipated that new and old light-sensitive materials are processed in mixture. In this case, the composition of the color developer greatly changes, particularly, the bromide ion concentration greatly changes, to cause extreme fluctuation in the photographic properties (particularly sensitivity and gradation) of both the light-sensitive material having a silver iodobromide emulsion and the light-sensitive material having a high silver chloride emulsion, therefore, the photographic performance cannot be maintained and a countermeasure therefor is necessary. Needless to say, when the switch to the photographing materials having a high silver chloride emulsion is completed on the market, the development processing thereof can be dedicatedly performed and the above-described problem can be overcome.
At the stage of introducing high silver chloride photographing materials, even when the processing thereof must be shared with conventional high silver chloride photographing materials, if the replenisher for conventional high silver chloride photographing materials can be used, the difficulties standing as an obstacle to the introduction of the new photographing material can be eliminated. Under these circumstances, a new replenishing system capable of realizing the common use of the replenisher is being demanded.
With respect to the apparatus for processing light-sensitive materials photographing, an apparatus described in JP-A-9-43806 may be used, for example. This apparatus comprises replenishing tanks for housing thick replenishers prepared by concentrating various processing solutions and a water replenishing tank for housing a diluting water for diluting the thick processing solution. In each replenishing or water replenishing tank, a passage line extending to the processing tank is provided. At the replenishing time, a pump provided to each passage line is operated and the thick replenishers and the diluting water can be fed to the processing tank to supply the developer replenisher. According to this apparatus, it is said that the processing solution stored in the processing tank can be prevented from the liquid exhaustion accompanying the processing and the water content evaporated can be supplemented.
However, even this development processing apparatus encounters difficulties in maintaining the photographic properties when the processing must be shared with conventional high silver bromide photographing materials at the stage of introducing high silver chloride photographing materials. Accordingly, a new replenishing system capable of correctly processing those two types of photographing materials is being demanded.
Furthermore, for example, JP-A-5-107712 describes an apparatus for processing light-sensitive materials for photographing. This apparatus comprises a processing tank for filling processing solutions for use in the processing of light-sensitive materials, an auxiliary tank for passing a processing solution into the processing tank, and a solid processing agent feeding unit for feeding a replenisher solid processing agent for maintaining the capability of the processing agent to the auxiliary tank, where the feeding unit is designed to work when the accumulated area of light-sensitive materials used reaches a predetermined value.
In addition, for example, JP-A-4-213454 describes an apparatus for processing light-sensitive materials for photographing. This apparatus comprises processing tanks for filling processing solutions for use in the processing of light-sensitive materials and an auxiliary tank for passing a processing solution to the processing tank, where the processing solution is obtained by dissolving a powdered processing agent in a solvent and an adding unit for adding the powdered processing agent to the auxiliary tank is provided.
Even in the processing apparatus using this replenishing system, a new replenishing method is being demanded, which can correctly process two types of photographing materials when high silver chloride photographing materials are introduced and the processing thereof must be shared with conventional high silver bromide photographing materials.
Still further, for example, JP-A-8-248606 and JP-A-8-234389 describe an apparatus for processing light-sensitive materials for photographing, in which a thick developer replenisher is prepared by dissolving or diluting a mixed processing agent in or with water and the thick replenisher is charged into a developing tank. In this type of apparatus, a mixed processing agent for the developer replenisher and water for dissolving or diluting the mixed processing agent are fed to a replenisher tank provided in the apparatus and mixed to previously prepare a concentrated developer replenisher and the replenisher is stored. At the replenishing time, the replenisher is appropriately supplied to supplement the deteriorated consumed components.
In the developing tank, water evaporates with the passing of time and the water evaporated must be supplemented. The above-described water for preparing a developer replenisher is used also as a supplementary water and the water reduced by the evaporation is appropriately supplemented from a water tank.
In other words, the apparatus described in that patent publication has a system of independently supplying the concentrated developer replenisher and the water supplementary for the evaporation.
Even in the processing apparatus using this replenishing system, a new replenishing method is being demanded, which can correctly process two types of photographing materials when high silver chloride photographing materials are introduced and the processing thereof must be shared with conventional high silver bromide photographing materials.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a processing method and an apparatus, in which even when light-sensitive materials for photographing having emulsions different in the silver halide composition are processed in mixture, both types of light-sensitive materials can have stable photographic property. In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide a processing method and an apparatus, in which conventional processing agents and processing apparatuses can be used in common and at the same time, the load in the modification of the processing apparatus is small.
The object of the present invention can be attained by the following processing method and apparatus of the present invention, which are practicable and cause no trouble in the color laboratory market. The embodiment and preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below.
(1) A method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material, comprising processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material A for photographing containing a high silver bromide emulsion having a silver bromide content of from 50 to 100 mol % and a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material B for photographing containing a high silver chloride emulsion having a silver chloride content of from 50 to 100 mol % with a common color developer, wherein both the replenishing amount and the concentration of the replenisher for the color developer are changed according to the processed amount of the two types of light-sensitive materials.
(2) The method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material as described in (1) above, wherein the change in the replenishing amount and the concentration of the color developer replenisher according to the processed amount of the color photographic light-sensitive material A and the color photographic light-sensitive material B is performed to maintain the bromide ion concentration in the developer tank within the allowable range including the standard concentration.
(3) The method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material as described in (1) or (2) above, wherein the change in the replenishing amount and the concentration of the color developer replenisher according to the processed amount of the color photographic light-sensitive material A and the color photographic light-sensitive material B is performed to maintain both the bromide ion concentration and the color developing agent concentration in the developing tank within respective allowable ranges including respective standard concentrations.
(4) The method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material as described in any one of (1) to (3), wherein the change in the concentration of the color developer replenisher is performed by changing only the amount of water for dissolving the constituent chemicals without changing the relative quantitative relationship among the chemicals in the formulation of the replenisher.
(5) The method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material as described in any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the high silver bromide emulsion contained in said color photographic light-sensitive material A is a silver iodobromide emulsion containing from 0.1 to 15 mol % of iodide ion.
(6) The method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material as described in any one of (1) to (4) above, wherein the high silver chloride emulsion contained in said color photographic light-sensitive material B comprises tabular silver halide grains having a (100) face as the main plane and having a silver chloride content of from 50 to 100 mol %.
(7) The method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material as described in any one of (1) to (6) above, wherein the common developer replenisher for simultaneously processing both said color photographic light-sensitive material A and said color photographic light-sensitive material B is a replenisher in which the composition of constituent chemicals is the same as the composition of constituent chemicals in the formulation of a replenisher designed to process said color photographic light-sensitive material A alone and the amount of water for dissolving the constituent chemicals is changed from the amount of water in said replenisher formulation.
(8) The method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material as described in (1) above, comprising processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material A for photographing containing a high silver bromide emulsion having a silver bromide content of from 50 to 100 mol % and a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material B for photographing containing a high silver chloride emulsion having a silver chloride content of from 50 to 100 mol % with a common color developer, wherein the developer replenisher is supplied by a method of feeding a thick replenisher resulting from the concentration of the developer replenisher and a diluting water for diluting the thick replenisher each directly to the developing tank and wherein the feeding amount of the diluting water is changed to change both the concentration of the developer replenisher and the replenishing amount of the developer replenisher per the unit processing area according to the processed amounts of two types of light-sensitive materials.
(9) An apparatus for processing silver halide color photographic light-sensitive materials, which processes a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material A for photographing containing a high silver bromide emulsion having a silver bromide content of from 50 to 100 mol % and a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material B for photographing containing a high silver chloride emulsion having a silver chloride content of from 50 to 100 mol % with a common color developer, the apparatus comprising a developing tank for storing a developer, a thick replenisher feeding means for feeding a thick replenisher prepared by concentrating a developer replenisher directly to the developing tank, a diluting water feeding means for feeding a diluting water for diluting the thick replenisher to the developing tank, a processed amount setting means for setting respective processed amounts of the light-sensitive materials, and a diluting water feeding controlling means for changing the feeding amount of the diluting water to change both the concentration of the developer replenisher and the replenishing amount of the developer replenisher per the unit processing area according to respective processed amounts of the light-sensitive materials.
(10) The method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material as described in (1) above, comprising processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material A for photographing containing a high silver bromide emulsion having a silver bromide content of from 50 to 100 mol % and a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material B for photographing containing a high silver chloride emulsion having a silver chloride content of from 50 to 100 mol % with a common color developer, wherein the two kinds of color photographic light-sensitive materials both are developed by a method of individually charging a solid processing agent and a diluting water into a developing tank and wherein both the replenishing amount and the concentration of the color developer replenisher are substantially changed according to the processing ratio between two types of light-sensitive materials by changing the interval in the charging of the solid processing agent and/or the feeding amount of the diluting water.
(11) An apparatus for processing silver halide color photographic light-sensitive materials, which processes a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material A for photographing containing a high silver bromide emulsion having a silver bromide content of from 50 to 100 mol % and a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material B for photographing containing a high silver chloride emulsion having a silver chloride content of from 50 to 100 mol % with a common color developer, the apparatus comprising a developing tank for storing a developer, a solid processing agent feeding means for feeding a solid processing agent at predetermined intervals to the developing tank, a diluting water feeding means for feeding a diluting water for dissolving the solid processing agent to the developing tank, a processed amount setting means for setting respective processed amounts of the light-sensitive materials, and a replenishment controlling means for changing the charging interval of the solid processing agent and/or the feeding amount of the diluting water to substantially change both the replenishing amount and the concentration of the replenisher according to the processing ratio between the two types of light-sensitive materials.
(12) The method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material as described in (1, comprising processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material A for photographing containing a high silver bromide emulsion having a silver bromide content of from 50 to 100 mol % and a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material B for photographing containing a high silver chloride emulsion having a silver chloride content of from 50 to 100 mol % with a common color developer, wherein both the color photographic light-sensitive material A and the color photographic light-sensitive material B are developed by a method of individually charging a solid processing agent and a diluting water into a developing tank and wherein both the replenishing amount and the concentration of the color developer replenisher are substantially changed according to the processing ratio between two types of light-sensitive materials by changing the charged amount of the diluting water.
(13) An apparatus for processing silver halide color photographic light-sensitive materials, which processes a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material A for photographing containing a high silver bromide emulsion having a silver bromide content of from 50 to 100 mol % and a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material B for photographing containing a high silver chloride emulsion having a silver chloride content of from 50 to 100 mol % with a common color developer, the apparatus comprising a developing tank for storing a developer, a solid processing agent feeding means for feeding a solid processing agent at predetermined intervals to the developing tank, a diluting water feeding means for feeding a diluting water for dissolving the solid processing agent to the developing tank, a processed amount setting means for setting respective processed amounts of the light-sensitive materials, and a replenishment controlling means for changing the feeding amount of the diluting water per the unit processing area to substantially change both the replenishing amount and the concentration of the replenisher according to the processing ratio between the two types of light-sensitive materials.
(14) The method for processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material as described in (1) above, comprising processing a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material A for photographing containing a high silver bromide emulsion having a silver bromide content of from 50 to 100 mol % and a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material B for photographing containing a high silver chloride emulsion having a silver chloride content of from 50 to 100 mol % with a common color developer, wherein the developer replenisher is supplied by a method of dissolving or diluting a mixed processing agent for the developer replenisher in or with water to prepare a developer replenisher and supplying the replenisher to the developing tank, and the amount of water for the mixing of the replenisher is changed to change both the concentration of the replenisher and the replenishing amount of the replenisher per the unit processing area according to the processing ratio between two types of light-sensitive materials.
(15) An apparatus for processing silver halide color photographic light-sensitive materials, which processes a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material A for photographing containing a high silver bromide emulsion having a silver bromide content of from 50 to 100 mol % and a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material B for photographing containing a high silver chloride emulsion having a silver chloride content of from 50 to 100 mol % with a common color developer, the apparatus comprising a developing tank for storing a developer, a replenisher tank for storing a developer replenisher, a reservoir tank for storing water for dissolving or diluting a mixed processing agent for the developer replenisher supplied to the replenisher tank, a water feeding means for feeding the water to the replenisher tank, a processed amount setting means for setting respective processed amounts of the light-sensitive materials, and a replenishment controlling means for changing both the amount of the water supplied to the replenisher tank and the replenishing amount of the replenisher per the unit processing area at the mixing of the replenisher to change both the concentration and the replenishing amount of the developer replenisher according to respective processed amounts of the light-sensitive materials.
(16) The processing method as described in (14) above, wherein the replenishing amount of the replenisher is changed by changing the unit replenishing amount of the replenisher per once mixing.
(17) The processing method as described in (14) above, wherein the replenishing amount is changed by changing the interval in supplying the replenisher.